Together
by Milotic
Summary: Misty visits Ash as he prepares to compete in the Sinnoh League. However, sparks begin to fly when she meets Angie. Can the two adversaries put away their differences when Ash is kidnapped by Cyrus? AAML and Morpheusshiping.
1. Prologue

Together

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I do, however, own this story.

Update 1/28/09: Aoi's name has been changed to Angie.

Grinning, Ash Ketchum snapped his badge case shut, promptly placing it in his backpack for protection. The case felt heavy now, the weight of eight badges weighing it down. After defeating Volkner of Sunnyshore City in a close match that pitted Ash's beloved Pikachu against Volkner's powerful Raichu, Ash had procured his eighth and final Sinnoh League badge. Each badge had been hard-won, the result of countless days of training and preparation, and many of them had taken multiple attempts before he had finally obtained them, but he now had them all, and the Sinnoh League was finally here. The young Pokémon trainer allowed himself to release a contented sigh. Life was good.

Turning towards his traveling companions, Ash finally spoke the words on his mind.

"Guys, can you believe I've made it all the way to the Sinnoh League? It's really here, isn't it?"

Brock shrugged his toned, tanned shoulders. "Well, Ash, this will be your fifth league if you count the Orange League. I'm not sure why you're so surprised, really."

"Yeah, Ash, you're a great trainer," Dawn chimed in.

"Hehe, I know I'm great and all," Ash conceded, "but it just seemed like the Sinnoh League gyms were even tougher than all of the other gyms I've faced. I've finally made it, though, and we're going to win, right, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" The small electric mouse flashed its master the victory sign, confident that they would rise all of the way to the top in the Sinnoh League.

Surveying his surroundings, Ash couldn't help but grin. Sure, the Pokémon Center stationed near the Sinnoh Pokémon League headquarters resembled all of the other Pokémon Centers he had been in, but it also seemed to have this certain aura about it, one of prestige and magnificence. Even the Center's Nurse Joy, Brock had duly noted, was prettier than your typical Nurse Joy, and her companion was a fully evolved Blissey instead of the usual Chansey. It simply seemed like a place where truly wonderful things happened, a place where people achieved their dreams.

"So, Ash, what's your strategy going to be for your first battle?" Brock, always one to think and plan ahead, asked the Pallet Town native.

"Huh? Oh, strategy…" Ash trailed off.

"What? You mean you haven't thought of something yet?" Dawn asked incredulously, surprised that her friend hadn't given the matter much though.

"Well, hehe, um, I figured I'd think of something tomorrow," Ash admitted.

"Ash!" Dawn and Brock exclaimed in unison.

"What? Does it really matter when I think of a strategy as long as I think of one?"

"Come one, Ash! You can't be serious!" Brock chided his long-time friend.

Just like that, Ash's bubble burst. Here he had been fantasizing about beating Paul, his ultimate rival, in the Sinnoh League and coming in first place and then challenging the Sinnoh Elite Four and, ultimately, battling Cynthia for the title of Sinnoh Champion. He had spent months daydreaming about these events, picturing perfectly in his head how he would feel and the look on Paul's face when he would win, but he hadn't really given much thought as to how he would get there. Ash was one to throw caution to the wind, a doer and not a planner. Sometimes, though, one has to face reality, and in this case reality hurt.

"Oh, alright. Let's go check out my opponent on the computer, and then I can start making a strategy," Ash reluctantly agreed, following his friends and traveling companions over towards the Pokémon Center's computers.

"Now you're talking," Brock stated, patting his younger friend on the back.

***

Twisting her hands together, a young girl with big brown eyes and a mop of short blue-green hair reluctantly followed her parents, keeping a sizeable distance between herself and them. She took in her surroundings carefully, awestruck by the awesomeness that was the Sinnoh Pokémon League. On all sides of her trainers and their Pokémon scampered through the streets, while vendors sold various League souvenirs. The place was everything she had hoped for and more.

"Angie, keep up, will you?" a woman who resembled the girl commanded.

"I'm sorry, Mama," Angie stated timidly.

"Why are you lagging behind? You've been talking excitedly about going to the Pokémon League for mounts now," a tall man with brown hair questioned.

"Oh, no reason."

How could Angie explain to her parents the multitude of thoughts going through her head at that very moment? How could she explain the Butterfree dancing in her stomach? How could she explain that, despite her immense excitement, she was nervous to see him? It didn't matter much, because she didn't have to explain; her mother could read her every thought.

Stopping for a brief second, Angie's mother turned round towards her young daughter.

"Ah, I understand, honey. You're nervous."

"Nervous? Why would I be nervous?" Angie stammered.

"You're nervous about seeing Ash," Angie's mother stated wisely.

"Oh, I see. You still have feelings for that boy, huh?" Angie's father piped up.

"What? N-no. I don't have any feelings for Ash," Angie argued.

Angie's parents simply looked at one another and grinned. They knew their only child too well.

"Mama, Papa! Really, I don't have any feelings for Ash!"

Angie's parents didn't give their daughter another glance, and simply continued walking on and enjoying the scenery. Inwardly, Angie was glad that they had decided to leave her alone. She didn't like being teased about her crush on Ash, didn't like being reminded of it, although it did seem like all she could think of. Why was that? Why was it that thinking of Ash made Angie feel like she was both on top of the world and also like she was being slowly suffocated? It felt awful and wonderful at the same time. Crushes sure were funny things.

***

"It says here that your opponent tomorrow is going to be Mindy of Pastoria City," Brock read aloud to Ash from one of the Pokémon Center's computers. "According to this she specialized in fire type Pokémon."

"Awesome! I guess I'm just going to have to rely on good old Floatzel then, huh?" Ash pumped his fist in the air, already excited for what he presumed would be his first victory.

"Not so fast, Ash," Brock began solemnly. "She also has a Vileplume on her roster. Vileplume's part grass type, and Floatzel is weak to grass types."

"Oh…well, OK, then, I'll just have Infernape on my team, too, then," Ash stated confidently.

"I'm not so sure that that's such a good idea, Ash. Mindy uses fire types, many of which have the Flash Fire ability, and if Infernape were to hit them with its fire attacks, you'd be in trouble," Brock reminded Ash. "You're going to have to be very careful if you use Infernape."

Before Ash could think of a good retort to Brock's critique, Dawn interrupted them with an exclamation.

"Angie!" the Pokémon Coordinator cried, drawing Ash's attention to the other end of the Pokémon Center.

Sure enough, Angie and her parents had just entered the Pokémon Center and were approaching Ash, Brock, and Dawn.

"Angie! It's great to see you!" Ash approached his friend from the Pokémon Summer School and offered his hand. Reluctantly, Angie shook it, blushing profusely.

"So, Angie, what brings you here?" Brock asked the young girl.

"Well, my grandpa said he would watch the day care center for a while so that Mama, Papa, and I could come watch the Pokémon League," Angie responded, still recovering slightly from her handshake with Ash.

"When Angie heard that Ash was going to be in the Sinnoh League, she insisted that we come see it," Angie's mother explained, winking at her daughter and causing her to turn an even deeper shade of red.

"Oh, yeah, hehe," Angie replied.

"That's great, Angie!" Ash exclaimed, completely missing the not so hidden meaning in the comment Angie's mother made. "You can stay here at the Pokémon Center with us…that is if your parents say it's OK," he added, not having forgotten the incident in which he and Angie had gotten in trouble at the day care center for hiding a recently evolved Lickilicky.

"Of course it's OK," Angie's parents agreed.

Grinning, Angie dropped her bags near the computer terminal where Ash, Brock, and Dawn were working as her parents left the Pokémon Center to go to their hotel room.

***

As she made her way through the crowded streets of the Sinnoh League, a tall, slender redhead couldn't help but smile. Being there made her feel like she was in her element. She had always loved competitions, had always loved the Pokémon Leagues she had been to before. Of course, the fact that she had been with her friends…and him…had probably had a lot to do with those facts.

Misty, the Cerulean City gym leader sighed, but it was not an altogether sad sigh. How long had been since she had seen Ash and Brock? Far too long for her liking!

Ash. At the mere thought of him Misty couldn't help but smile. Soon enough she would be seeing his sweet, adorable (often dirty) face again. What would he think when he saw her? Would he be as happy as she would be?

Would Ash look any different than he had looked the last time she had seen him? Probably not, Misty guessed; he never seemed to change. Would he have caught any new Pokémon? Probably, since he had traveled all throughout Sinnoh. What would his mood be? Probably overly excited and overly confident, as always. She'd have to tease him about his ego, of course. It would be just like old times. Misty couldn't wait.

***

Ash, Brock, Dawn, and Angie sat in the lobby of the Pokémon Center playing a game of cards. Brock, who usually had the best ideas when it came to games of strategy, was winning, as usual. Ash was becoming increasingly fed up.

"This stinks! I quit!"

"Aww, don't be a poor sport, Ash," Dawn teased.

"I think it's about time we got to bed, anyway," Brock reminded the group.

Sure enough, at that very moment Nurse Joy entered the Pokémon Center's lobby to announce that it was bedtime. Brock was on his feet in an instant.

"Nurse Joy, your eyes are like beautiful sapphires, ones I would pay thousands of dollars to obtain!"

"That's nice…" Joy stated apathetically.

Brock knew what was coming next and braced himself for Croagunk's Poison Jab attack. Instead, he felt someone swiftly tug his ear.

"Alright, Romeo, enough is enough!"

That voice. Ash knew that voice. For reasons he did not understand, it made his stomach somersault.

Author's Note: OK, the whole thing with Ash and Aoi has been bothering me immensely, and this is my solution to the problem (and the way I think the writers should solve the problem, too, not that they'll ever read this). If you're worried that this one will turn out like The Winner Takes it All, well, don't. I'm determined to give Misty a happy ending this time. Don't worry, though, Aoi fans, because there will be no Aoi bashing in this fic.

In case you don't know who Aoi is, she's a girl who appeared in the summer school arc that aired relatively recently in Japan and who developed a crush on Ash. She appeared again a couple of weeks ago and her crush was still there. Ash doesn't seem to return her feelings, which is good. Aoi doesn't have an English name yet, so when she gets one I'll change her name in this fic (and in The Winner Takes it All for what it's worth). She really did call her parents "Mama" and "Papa" in the episode she was in recently, so I'm not just having her do that to be cutesy or anything. Aoi's parents don't have names in the anime.

I know this chapter is pretty short, but the rest of them should be longer, and it is only the prologue. I have a pretty good idea of where this fic is going.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. I hope to update every weekend, but I'm certainly not making any guarantees because I'm pretty busy with school. I'll try my hardest, though.

Don't forget to review. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Thanks. :)

Top of Form


	2. Chapter 1

Together

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I do, however, own this story.

Update 1/28/09: Aoi's name has been changed to Angie.

Ash did a double-take, his head quickly spinning around so he could face the source of the new voice. Could it really be her? Though he didn't know why, the thought of seeing Misty made him bristle with excitement. He hadn't seen her in so long, and he had so much to tell her! Turning around a second time, Ash grinned as he realized that indeed it was his longtime friend from Cerulean City.

"Misty!"

"Pikachupi!"

"Hey, guys! I see you haven't been keeping Brock in line at all while I've been gone. Don't you do anything when he flirts with the girls?" Misty remonstrated.

"Well, usually my Croagunk takes care of things with Poison Jab, but I guess you beat it to it," Brock replied, rubbing his ear where Misty had yanked it. "It's good to see you, Misty."

"It's good to see you!" Misty gushed, smiling at her friends. "You must be Dawn," she suddenly remarked, looking towards the blue-haired coordinator who sat near Ash.

"Yes. It's nice to meet you, Misty. I've heard about you from Ash and Brock," Dawn answered cheerfully, glad to have finally met the gym leader both Ash and Brock had always seemed so fond of. "What brings you here?"

"I came to watch Ash win the Sinnoh League, of course…that is if he doesn't choke," Misty teased while winking at Ash, who stuck his tongue out right back at the redhead.

"Ha-ha. For your information I'm going to win this time!" Ash stated confidently, pumping his fist in the air.

Misty could only laugh. Same old Ash. Boy had she missed him! Misty was about to say this very thing when she noticed a young girl with big brown eyes staring at her curiously.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we've met. My name's Misty," she offered.

"Oh, Misty, sorry for not introducing you, but this is our friend Angie," Brock explained, motioning towards the young girl. "Angie, this is Misty. She's the leader of the Cerulean City gym back in our homeland of Kanto and traveled with us in Kanto and Johto."

"Nice to meet you, Angie," Misty responded. "Have you known Ash, Brock, and Dawn long?"

"No, not too long. I met them at Professor Rowan's Pokémon Summer School."

"Oh, cool. Ash, didn't you win top prize there?" Misty asked the future Pokémon Master.

"As a matter of fact I did," Ash began proudly. Then he remembered his competition with Angie there and added, "But Angie came in a close second."

It was at that moment that Misty noticed something very strange about Angie. The girl was blushing at Ash's comment. Misty wasn't sure why that would be, but it left her with a bad feeling. There was nothing about Ash's comment that should make a person blush, nothing strange or embarrassing about it, so why was this girl blushing? Maybe she was just proud of having done so well at Pokémon Summer School. Before Misty could ponder the issue more Ash interrupted her train of thought.

"Misty, my first match is tomorrow; it's against a girl named Mindy from Pastoria City who specializes in fire Pokémon, so I'm going to use my Floatzel in the battle," Ash surged excitedly, always happy to talk about Pokémon battles.

"Cool, Ash! I can't wait to see your Floatzel," Misty exclaimed.

"Ash has to be careful, though," Brock butted in, "because Mindy also has a Vileplume on her team, and Floatzel is weak to grass types. Ash plans on using Infernape, but I tried telling him that that's not such a good idea because fire Pokémon often have the Flash Fire ability and will be powered up by Infernape's fire attacks."

"I know what I'm doing Brock!" Ash retorted angrily. "I wouldn't have gotten to the Sinnoh League if I didn't."

"I know you do, Ash; I'm just trying to help you. Calm down," Brock requested.

"Then don't question my judgment!"

"I'm not trying to—"

"I have an idea," Misty suddenly interrupted. "Why don't you use my Gyarados instead of Infernape? It knows Flamethrower and can take care of Vileplume with it and also isn't weak to grass attacks like other water types because it's part flying. Then you don't have to worry about activating Flash Fire because you'll be using Gyarados's water attacks against the fire types."

"Hmm, that does sound like a smart idea. It looks like being a gym leader has really helped you improve your skills, Misty," Brock complimented.

"No way! I'm using Infernape and that's that," Ash answered determinedly.

"Why?" Misty and Brock simultaneously questioned.

"Because I want to win on my own terms with my own Pokémon!"

"But, Ash, you might not win at all if you use Infernape," Misty reminded her friend.

"Well, I'd rather lose than use your Gyarados!" Ash regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth. While he was adamant about winning with his own Pokémon, he hadn't meant to be so harsh with Misty. Still, he was determined to stand his ground, and there was no way he was taking back what he said.

Misty appeared obviously hurt, her lip quivering slightly. Much to the surprise of Angie and Dawn, however, who didn't know the gym leader and were convinced she would start crying, Misty simply hardened her resolve and fought back.

"Ash, you are so stubborn! Go ahead and lose; see if I care! Oh, and don't expect me to ever help you again!"

"Fine by me! I don't want your help anyway!"

"Fine!" With that, Misty left the large lobby and entered the room she was staying in at the Pokémon Center, slamming the door behind her.

"Uh, what just happened?" Dawn asked Brock, who could only sweat drop while Ash silently continued fuming.

***

Ash could hardly sleep that night. Not only was he nervous about his first match the next day, but he couldn't get the picture of Misty's face, so full of anguish and hurt after he had insulted her and her Pokémon, out of his head. He had been so happy to see her and so excited for her to cheer him on in the Sinnoh League; it would be just like old times. Now he had gone and ruined it, though.

He wouldn't admit this to anyone, least of all Misty, but he had missed his gym leader friend immensely. Although he liked and respected May and Dawn a great deal, things hadn't been the same without Misty around. Who was there to keep his admittedly large ego in check? He couldn't quite place his finger on the what or why of it, but Ash knew that he had a special relationship with Misty, one that he did not share with his other traveling companions.

Then there was that strange feeling. Ash had never told anyone about it, but he always felt weird when he was around Misty. It wasn't a bad feeling—in fact, it was a good one—but it was one he didn't recognize and one he felt around no one else. He'd get this unparalleled feeling of excitement when around her, but he'd also feel strangely nervous, which was odd since he'd known Misty forever and had never felt that way around her before. It was like he was afraid of messing up in front of her or saying something stupid.

When Misty had surprised him by arriving at the Pokémon Center that night, the feeling had been stronger than ever, and Ash had felt as though he might burst from happiness and excitement. He had so many things to tell her, so many gym badges and new Pokémon to show her! Why did he have to go and ruin it by acting all pompous and stubborn? Ash did insist on winning his own way with his own Pokémon, but he realized that there was no need for him to be so nasty to Misty; she was only trying to help him like the good friend she was. He'd so been looking forward to her cheering for him at the match just like she used to when they traveled together, and now she was probably too angry to. He'd really messed up big time, but his pride wouldn't let him apologize, at least not yet. For now he'd have to live with the consequences and the sleepless night.

***

Misty could hardly sleep that night. Though she wouldn't let it show to the others (or at least she was trying her hardest not to let it show), Ash's comment about her and her Gyarados had really hurt. She was only trying to help him, to be a good friend!

That was Ash for you, though; he always had to have things his way, always had to be right. Was his ego ever large! Misty supposed that Ash had a right to want to use his own Pokémon and his own strategies to win, but that certainly didn't give him the right to be nasty to her. Why did he always have to hurt her feelings, always have to mess with her heart? Didn't he know how she felt about him?

No, of course he didn't. She'd always been too afraid to tell him, too afraid to have her heart broken. How could she risk ruining the best friendship she'd ever experienced for her own romantic whimsies? No, her friendship with Ash was too important. Besides, what could he possibly see in a loud-mouthed, angry, scrawny redhead like herself?

Oh, and what to make of this Angie? Why was she blushing over what Ash had said? It was all too confusing!

With that thought, Misty continued tossing and turning into the sleepless night.

***

Angie could hardly sleep that night. Her excitement over staying with Ash at the Pokémon Center (he was in the room right next door!) kept her awake. She could barely contain herself. She hadn't stayed with Ash since Professor Rowan's Pokémon Summer School, and it was a magical feeling indeed. To think, she could walk right next door and see Ash in pajamas! The thought of it alone made her blush.

Ash and his friends were so nice, too. What of this new friend, Misty, though? She certainly liked to tease Ash, and had even winked at him! For some reason Angie didn't like that. Misty and Ash sure had gotten in a nasty fight, too. Angie knew Ash had been wrong to say those things to Misty, but she couldn't help but support him in his endeavor to use his own Pokémon and strategies to win the Sinnoh League. Who did that Misty think she was? Angie didn't really care; she was just too happy to be with Ash, and that kept her up for most of the night.

***

The next morning came all too quickly for Ash. He had barely slept the night before and, as a result, felt quite tired the next morning. Still, he was pumped for his match and confident he was going to win. The argument with Misty loomed in the back of his mind, but he figured she had probably gotten over it, seemingly forgetting how stubborn the redhead could be.

Oh, how wrong he was. When the gang sat down for breakfast at the Pokémon Center that morning, Misty refused to even glance in Ash's direction, and when he offered an anxious "good morning," all she could do was grunt in reply. Ash hung his head sadly; it looked like he was wrong about Misty getting over their argument quickly.

Despite being upset about Misty's abrasiveness at breakfast, Ash felt excited for his first ever Sinnoh League battle and entered the stadium with a smile on his face that morning. When the crowd cheered as Ash took his place at the battle field, he couldn't help but forget his argument with his gym leader friend. He was here to win, and that was exactly what he was going to do.

Mindy, a slight blond who looked to be around Ash's age, entered the stadium next, and the crowd cheered for her as well. Ash didn't like the fact that the their attention was no longer on him one bit, but he would gain the crowd's attention again as soon as he won, which he was confident he would do.

"Mindy, are you ready to lose?" Ash taunted his opponent.

"You're the one who's going to be losing, Ash!" Mindy yelled back.

"This three-on-three battle is between Mindy of Pastoria City and Ash of Pallet Town," the officiator announced. "The roulette will decide who chooses first." A yellow light danced across Ash and Mindy's pictures, finally landing on Mindy's. "Mindy will choose first."

"Alright then! I choose Magmortar!" Mindy cried, releasing the evolved form of the Kanto Pokémon Magmar, a large and imposing creature whose very body was made of flames.

"You're going to be in for a lot of trouble when you see the Pokémon I've chosen, Mindy," Ash began. "I choose Kingler!" The evolved form of the Kanto Pokémon Krabby appeared, mashing its large pincers together.

"Huh, I've never seen that Pokémon before," Dawn commented from the stands, looking up Kingler in her pink Pokedex. "I didn't know Ash had a Kingler."

"Piplup?" Dawn's beloved penguin Pokémon, who was now always out of its Pokeball, echoed.

"He caught it years ago when we first traveled through Kanto," Brock explained. "He must have asked Professor Oak to send it over from Pallet Town for the match. It was one of the first Pokémon Ash caught, right, Misty?"

Misty, however, made no attempt to answer, and when Brock turned to his side to look at her he noticed that she was facing away, a scowl on her face and her arms crossed in anger.

Back on the battle field, Mindy was ready for the attack before Ash could even issue a command.

"Magmortar, use Smokescreen!"

Magmortar produced black smoke from its weapon-like arms, cloaking the whole battlefield in a smog-like substance.

"Ugh, can't see," Ash grunted, looking around desperately for Kingler. "Kingler, try your Crabhammer attack," he ordered.

"Kookie!" Kingler cried, flailing its pincers desperately among the smoke.

"It's no good!" Brock exclaimed from the stands, watching in horror as Kingler missed its target by a mile. "Kingler can't see where Magmortar is!"

"What's Ash going to do?" Angie questioned sadly.

"I don't know, but he'd better think of something fast before Mindy really gets the upper hand," Brock stated sagely.

"It looks like your Kingler can't land an attack," Mindy mocked back on the battlefield. "Magmortar, use Smog on Kingler!"

This time Magmortar released a purple gas that surrounded Kingler, causing the normally red Pokémon to turn a sickly shade of purple.

"Kingler's been poisoned!" Dawn gasped.

"Oh no!" Angie cried.

"Ack, Kingler, try your Slam attack," Ash ordered.

The smoke was clearing so that both Ash and Kingler could better see Mindy and her Magmortar, but Kingler was badly weakened from the poison and could only move very slowly. Before it could reach Magmortar, Mindy announced the trick she had been saving for last.

"Magmortar, use Thunderpunch!"

"Thunderpunch?!" Brock, Dawn, and Angie exclaimed from the stands.

"What?!" Ash bellied.

While Ash and his friends were gawking at Mindy's surprise attack, Magmortar sped towards Kingler and unleashed the powerful electric attack, easily knocking the giant crab out.

"Kingler is unable to battle!" the officiator decided.

"But Magmortar is a fire type…how can it know electric attacks?" Dawn wondered aloud.

"There are surprises everywhere once you reach the Pokémon League; people are really on top of their game," Brock explained to the Pokémon Coordinator. "I just hope Ash is careful and has something planned."

Misty, he noticed, no longer looked angry but sad and worried. Still, she refused to say anything.

What was Ash going to do? He only had two Pokémon left now, and Mindy still had three. He had to win this match; he just had to. That Magmortar was so fast and powerful, though; Ash would have to act before it could use Smokescreen again. Suddenly Ash had an idea.

"I choose you, Floatzel!" The evolved form of the Sinnoh Pokémon Buizel appeared, its arms crossed arrogantly and its fangs bared menacingly.

"Are you willing to fall for my tricks again, Ash?" Mindy teased. "It looks like you'll be falling to Smokescreen and Thunderpunch again. Magmortar, use—"

"Floatzel, Aqua Jet!"

Before Mindy could even command her Pokémon to attack, Floatzel was speeding towards Magmortar in a shield of water, completing the powerful attack that was guaranteed to strike first and knocking Magmortar out.

"Magmortar is unable to battle!"

"Wow, that was really smart of Ash to use Floatzel's Aqua Jet attack to guarantee that he would strike before Mindy could use Smokescreen or Thunderpunch," Dawn marveled.

"Piplup!"

"Ash is a really great trainer," Angie agreed.

"Well, sometimes Ash can surprise you. This match isn't over yet, though," Brock reminded his companions.

Slowly but surely, Misty's frown was turning into a smile.

Feeling defeated, Mindy called back her powerful Pokémon. Still, she wasn't about to give up yet and had some more tricks up her sleeve.

"Vileplume, go!" An elegant looking grass Pokémon masquerading as a large flower materialized from Mindy's Pokeball.

"I was afraid of this," Brock stated solemnly.

"Floatzel, use Aqua Jet!" Ash ordered. The water Pokémon launched the attack, but Vileplume merely shrugged it off, enjoying its type advantage against water types.

"Vileplume, Stun Spore!"

Vileplume emitted a golden powder from the large flower on top of its head, paralyzing Floatzel.

"Floatzel, oh no!" Ash cried in despair.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu, who stood at Ash's feet, echoed its trainer.

"Vileplume, finish it off with Petal Dance!" Mindy commanded.

"Vileplume!" The beautiful Pokémon unleashed an onslaught of petals, and the powerful grass attack immediately caused Floatzel to faint.

"Floatzel is unable to battle!"

"What are you going to do now, Ash?" Mindy sneered.

"I'm just getting started, Mindy! Go, Infernape!" The powerful fire type Pokémon, which Ash had rescued from his rival Paul when it was just a Chimchar, emerged from Ash's Pokeball, ready as always to battle until the end for its beloved master.

"Infernape, use Flame Wheel!"

Infernape rolled itself into a ball and speedily charged towards Vileplume. The attack hit dead-on.

Vileplume had clearly taken a lot of damage, as it was weak to fire attacks, but slowly and steadily it stood erect again, ready for more.

"Flame Wheel isn't strong enough to take out Vileplume," Brock commented to the others in the stands with him.

Proving once again that she was an adept trainer, Mindy unleashed another one of her tricks.

"Vileplume, use Synthesis!"

The grass Pokémon took sunlight into the large flower on tops of its head, recovering from the damage it had received from Flame Wheel.

"Ash can't rely on Flame Wheel because Vileplume will keep recovering from the damage by using Synthesis," Brock explained. "He'll have to take it out in one hit."

Luckily Ash realized this very thing and had a trick of his own up his sleeve.

"Infernape, use Blast Burn!" he demanded, ordering Infernape to use the most powerful fire attack in its arsenal, which it had recently learned from the one of the Sinnoh move tutors.

Infernape emitted the extremely strong fire attack, which immediately caused Vileplume to faint.

"Vileplume is unable to battle!"

"Alright! Thanks, Infernape!" Ash hugged the large fire monkey.

"Pikachu!" The small electric mouse flashed the victory symbol.

"This isn't over yet, Ash! I choose Ninetails!" The beautiful fox Pokémon appeared, its nine golden tails shimmering in the sunlight.

"Alright, I'm going to finish this one just like the last one! Infernape, Blast Burn!"

Infernape unleashed the powerful attack once more. While Ash knew that it wouldn't be as effective against Ninetails as it was against Vileplume, he still figured it would do a lot of damage because it was so strong. Much to his surprise, the attack didn't seem to affect the fox Pokémon at all.

"It's no good! Ninetails has the Flash Fire ability, and fire attacks are useless against it!" Brock exclaimed.

"But the only attacks Infernape knows are Blast Burn, Flame Wheel, Fire Spin, and Dig!" Dawn explained to Misty and Angie. "It looks like Ash will have to rely on Dig!"

"What just happened?" Ash cried.

"Thank you for powering up my Ninetails, Ash!" Mindy laughed. "It looks like you didn't realize that Ninetails has the Flash Fire ability."

"Flash Fire?" It was then that Ash remembered what Brock had said about the Flash Fire ability. Panic began to course through his veins. What was he going to do?

"Infernape, use Dig!"

Infernape borrowed underground, hidden from all of those in the stadium.

"Ha-ha, now you're just giving me an opportunity to power up my Ninetails even more. Ninetails, Nasty Plot!"

"Ninetails!" Ninetails began to think dark thoughts, sharply boosting its special attack stat.

"Infernape, now surface," Ash commanded.

"Ninetails, dodge it!" Mindy countered.

Infernape surfaced from the ground, but Ninetails was too fast and avoided the Dig attack altogether.

"Ninetails, use Extrasensory!"

Panicking, Ash ordered Infernape to do the only think he could think of. "Infernape, dodge it by using Dig again!"

Infernape successfully dodged the Extrasensory attack, but when it surfaced again to attack Ninetails, the fox Pokémon easily avoided Dig.

"Neither one of them is going to be able to win if things keep going like this," Brock began. "Extrasensory will knock out Infernape if it hits because it's weak to psychic attacks and Dig will cause Ninetails to faint if it hits because it's weak to ground attacks, but it doesn't look like either will hit because each Pokémon is too fast."

"Come on, Ash!" Dawn called out to her friend.

"Piplup!"

"You can do it, Ash!" Angie echoed.

Ash looked up at his friends who were cheering him on. He desperately wanted to win for them. Then he noticed something; Misty wasn't cheering along with them. She simply sat with Brock, Dawn, and Angie, lips pursed, not saying a word. Ash's heart sank. As much as he wanted to win for Brock, Dawn, and Angie, the person he really wanted to win for was Misty. He wanted to prove to her that he was a strong trainer and that he could win on his own without help. For some reason, perhaps because of that strange feeling, he also wanted to impress her. Now he would have to face the smug look on her face after losing. Looking up at the stands, however, Ash realized that Misty didn't look pompous; she wasn't saying anything or cheering him on in any way, but she looked distressed.

Ash and Mindy continued to battle on this way, Ash showing little enthusiasm when issuing his commands to Infernape. It became clear to everyone watching that his heart wasn't in the battle anymore.

"What's Ash doing? He can't just issue the same command over and over again, or else he'll never win," Brock told the others. "He has to think of something."

"Don't give up, Ash!" Dawn cheered from the stands.

"Keep fighting, Ash!" Angie agreed.

Ash simply hung his head, sad that the one voice he wanted to hear above all others remained silent. It was then that he saw something move out of the corner of his eyes.

Back in the stands, a perplexed look made its way across Brock's face as he noticed Misty stand up from her seat.

"Misty, where are you going? What are you doing?" he asked the Water Pokémon lover.

"I'm going to talk to Ash. Someone needs to knock some sense into him!"

"But Misty, you can't go down there!" Brock reminded his friend.

"Oh yeah? Well, just watch me!"

Then, much to the amazement of Brock, Dawn, and Angie, Misty left the stands and ran down towards the stadium where Ash was battling.

Ash could hardly believe his eyes when he saw Misty approaching him. What could she possibly be doing?

"A-S-H! What do you think you're doing? Are you just going to keep ordering Infernape to do the same stupid thing or are you going to win this match!?"

"What do you want me to do, Misty? Infernape only knows fire attacks and Dig!"

"Then teach it a new attack!"

"But—"

"Excuse me, miss, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave," a League official approached Misty from the stands.

"I know you can do this, Ash. I believe in you," Misty stressed before disappearing back into the stands.

That was all Ash needed to hear.

"OK, Infernape, let's win this one! Try, uh, try kicking and punching Ninetails!"

Infernape flashed its trainer a confused look only briefly before starting on the attack. Mindy was too stunned by the recent turn of events to issue any orders.

What started off as clumsy kicks and punches soon became well-coordinated hits that greatly damaged Ninetails. It was clear to everyone watching that something amazing was happening.

"Ash, I think Infernape's learned Close Combat," Brock yelled to his friend from the stands.

"Alright! Infernape, use Close Combat!" Ash ordered.

"Ape!" The fire Pokémon unleashed such a powerful onslaught this time that Ninetails fainted.

"Ninetails is unable to battle! The winner is Ash from Pallet Town!"

"Yeah, we did it!" Ash ran over and gave the fire ape another hug.

"Pikachu!"

Everyone was cheering and clapping loudly. Back in the stands, Brock looked at Misty with awe.

"I don't know how you did it, but what you said to Ash really worked. Good job, Misty."

"Thanks, Brock. I'm just glad that Ash won."

***

Everyone celebrated Ash's victory that night with a large dinner at the Pokémon Center. Good cheer abounded, and Ash and his friends were in delightful spirits. The mood at the Pokémon Center was light and jolly.

"Hey, everyone, let's toast Ash for his victory today," Brock proposed.

"Good idea," Dawn agreed.

"Cheers!" everyone cried.

"Thanks, guys. You're all the best, and I couldn't ask for better friends." Ash turned towards all his friends, offering each of them a warm smile. When he landed on Misty, his smile grew widest of all.

"Misty, do you think I could talk to you in private for a moment?" Ash asked the Cerulean City gym leader.

"Sure, Ash."

After leading Misty into the room he was sharing with Brock, Ash sat down on his bed. Much to his surprise, Misty sat down on the same bed next to him and chose not to sit down on Brock's bed across the room. That funny feeling surfaced again.

"What's up, Ash?"

"Misty, I just wanted to thank you for helping me out at the match today. I really couldn't have won without your help."

"It was my pleasure, Ash. I'm just glad that you won," Misty stated sincerely. "Just don't make such a fool out of yourself during the next battle!"

"I won't."

The two friends sat in silence for quite awhile, neither knowing what to say. Finally, Ash broke the silence.

"Listen, Misty, I just wanted to apologize for saying such nasty things to you last night. That was really uncalled for."

"It's OK, Ash. I shouldn't have tried to force my ideas and my Pokémon on you. You're a great trainer, and I should have had more faith in you."

Although he didn't know why, Ash felt his face flush. "Thanks, Mist. You're a great friend, and I've really missed you."

***

Misty was officially on cloud nine that night. Not only had Ash won his match, but she and Ash had made up, and he had even called her a great friend and told her that he had missed her. The Cerulean City gym leader couldn't remember a time when she had felt better. It certainly was a stark contrast to the previous night.

As Misty walked through the halls of the Pokémon Center with the hope of finding a drink of water that night, she heard familiar voices coming from one of the rooms. Listening more closely, she recognized the two female voices as Angie's and Dawn's.

"Can you believe Ash won?" Dawn asked in amazement.

"Of course I can! I didn't doubt him for a minute," Angie replied.

"Not even after he messed up and hit Ninetails with Blast Burn?"

"No, not even then."

The two girls remained silent for awhile. Misty was about to move on when she heard her name mentioned.

"What do you know about Misty?" Angie asked Dawn.

"Well, not much. Based on what Ash and Brock have told me I know that she's the leader of the Cerulean City gym and that she specializes in water Pokémon," Dawn explained. "Both Ash and Brock seem really fond of her."

"Do you like her?"

"Huh? I don't even know her!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I just think she had a lot of nerve to upset Ash like that!"

"What do you mean? I'm pretty sure she was only trying to help."

"Oh, I guess…" Angie paused for a moment. "Do you think Ash likes me?"

"Sure, why wouldn't he? We're all friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah…I guess." Apparently that wasn't the answer Angie had wanted to hear, and Dawn suddenly realized the true meaning of Angie's statement.

"Angie, you don't happen to have a crush on Ash, do you?" Dawn questioned slyly.

"What? M-me? No, of course not!"

"I think you do!" Dawn teased.

Misty couldn't take anymore and walked swiftly by. Why did all her good feelings have to come to an end?

Meanwhile, Angie and Dawn continued their conversation, unaware of the redhead who had heard practically all of it.

Author's Note: I'm really bad at writing Pokémon battles, so hopefully this wasn't too awful. I'm trying to work on it, though.

Some of what happened in this fic is based on speculation. I know Ash doesn't have a Floatzel and an Infernape yet and only has a Buizel and a Chimchar, but I'm assuming he'll have them by the time he reaches the Sinnoh League. Also, I'm pretty sure Chimchar knows Dig, Flame Wheel, and Fire Spin. It doesn't know Blast Burn, but Paul's Torterra knows Frenzy Plant and Jun's Empoleon knows Hydro Canon, so a lot of people are speculating that Ash will have an Infernape and it will learn Blast Burn to sort of complete the trio.

I included the scenes with Ash, Misty, and Aoi at night to sort of show the differences between the types of feelings they have. One of my objectives in writing this fic is to show that Misty loves Ash and that Aoi has little more than a schoolgirl crush on him (hence Misty should be the one to get with him); hopefully this will become clearer as the fic continues.

I think I did a bad job with the way I had Dawn discover Aoi's crush. It was too rushed. Oh well.

I know I describe Ash's feelings the same way every time I write a fic, bur I promise you that this won't be a carbon copy of Something More, White Wedding, and Seashells and Secrets in terms of that.

I know I said that I'd try to update every weekend, but I'm not sure that I'm going to be able to do that. It took me all last night and all day today to write this chapter, and I have to make time for schoolwork, too. However, I will try my best to try to stick with that timeline.

Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review! :)

Top of Form


	3. Chapter 2

Together

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I do, however, own this story.

Angie hummed a cheery tune, swinging her arms back and forth in time as she and Dawn approached the table where the gang would be eating breakfast that morning. Her blue-green hair had been stylishly combed by Dawn into something more neat and manageable than its usual mopped mess, and a tint of pale pink gloss shone on her thin lips. When she caught Ash's glance, she flashed him a toothy grin.

"Hi, Angie, how are you—wha?" Ash did a double-take, turning around again to look Angie square in the eyes.

"What?" Angie feigned innocence, batting her (seemingly extra black and long!) eyelashes at the aspiring Pokémon Master.

"It's just that you look different, although I can't quite put my finger on the how or the why of it," Ash admitted, fingering his chin in thought. "There's something funny going on with your lips; they're all shiny or something," he added.

"Do you like it?" Angie asked naively, gripping her hands behind her back and sort of swaying back and forth in place.

"No, you look stupid!" Ash scowled, looking away from Angie and taking a bite of his toast.

"I--what?" Angie frowned, biting her lip as if to keep from crying. "What did you say?"

Ash, however, simply continued to eat his toast, crumbs dribbling down his shirt, almost as if he hadn't a care in the world. When he failed to respond to Angie's question, Brock tapped him on the shoulder.

"What, Brock? Can't you see that I'm eating?" Ash exclaimed angrily, frustrated that his older friend would interrupt the most important of daily rituals.

"I think Angie's trying to talk to you, Ash?" Brock whispered to his younger friend.

"Huh? What is it, Angie?" Ash turned towards the young girl.

"I said, 'What did you say?'" Angie returned in an irritated voice, her anger with Ash overcoming any sorrow she may have felt.

"I don't know. Did I say something?" Ash questioned, having already forgotten the less than kind words he had directed towards his friend from the Pokémon Summer School.

"You said I looked stupid!" Angie cried.

"Did I? Well, you do look kind of dumb today for some reason. I mean, your lips are all sparkly and—"

"Humph!" Angie turned around with a flourish, running off to the room she was sharing with Dawn.

"Ash, don't you have any tact?" Dawn asked angrily.

"What? What did I say?" Ash wondered aloud, his mouth full of toast.

"Ugh, you are so dense! Angie looked like that because she was wearing makeup!" Dawn exclaimed with irritation. "Don't you know anything?"

"Hmm, I thought that may have been the case," Brock chimed in. "A real lady's man can always spot makeup."

"Why would Angie wear makeup, though? Isn't makeup for girls?" Ash stated honestly.

"Ash, Angie is a girl!" Dawn sighed. Obviously her plan had not gone as well as she had thought it would.

"Oh, oh yeah. I guess I kind of forget that sometimes," Ash admitted, sweat dropping slightly.

"Ash, I think you should really apologize to Angie," Brock suggested.

Grumbling, Ash stuffed the remainder of his toast in his mouth and headed off towards the room Dawn and Angie shared.

***

Angie punched her pillow in frustration, tears rolling down her carefully made-up face. How could Ash be so mean? She had gone out of her way to make herself pretty, had gone out of her way to make herself pretty for _him_, and this is how he had reacted? Maybe he wasn't worth it after all; maybe he wasn't worth her time or efforts.

Then again…

Angie smiled, picturing the way the crumbs from Ash's toast had strewn themselves across his shirt, the way Ash had stuffed the toast in his mouth absentmindedly, the way he had smiled. He was so cute!

How had Dawn's plan failed, though? It had seemed like the perfect idea…

"_Dawn, what do you think I should do? How can I get Ash to notice me?" Angie asked, fingering her green top nervously. Now that her secret was out, she felt painfully exposed. Would Dawn tell Ash how she felt about him?_

"_What do you mean, Angie? I'm sure Ash notices you as it is," Dawn replied with a reassuring smile._

"_I don't think so, Dawn," Angie began sadly. "Don't you think I look kind of plain?"_

"_Oh, I see what you're thinking of," Dawn stated. "You want Ash to notice your looks. Well, a little makeup never hurt a girl, and I suppose we could do something with your hair. Personally, I have Piplup use Bubblebeam on mine," Dawn said with a grin._

_Angie sweat dropped at the final statement but regained her composure before Dawn could notice. "Do you really think that's a good idea, Dawn? I mean, I've never worn makeup before," Angie admitted._

"_Sure it's a good idea! Don't worry, Angie; tomorrow I'll make you so beautiful that Ash won't be able to take his eyes off of you!" Dawn squealed. _

Why hadn't Dawn's plan worked? The blue-haired beauty had assured Angie that it would, and Dawn really seemed to know a lot about boys. After all, Ash was a boy, wasn't he?

***

Misty patted her sopping red hair dry, wringing it out with her towel. Letting out a sigh, she looked at the clock on the table by her beside; it was relatively late, almost time for Ash's next Sinnoh League match. Misty certainly didn't want to miss the match, but a large part of her didn't really want to go either. Left reeling from the conversation she had overheard between Dawn and Angie the previous night, she didn't particularly feel like seeing Angie…or anyone, for that matter. While she had been feeling relatively great before overhearing the conversation between the two girls, Misty was left feeling rather depressed and hopeless upon learning of Angie's crush on Ash.

Misty quickly dressed, not wanting to be late for the Ash's battle. Figuring that Ash and the others would be eating breakfast in the main room of the Pokémon Center, she thought she'd sneak down and grab something to eat without being seen and meet everyone at the stadium; the less time she had to spend with them the better. With her hair still down, Misty quietly exited her room and snuck off to get some breakfast…

…only to bump into Ash!

"Misty, hey!" Ash exclaimed happily, always glad to see his gym leader friend.

"Oh, Ash, hi," Misty stated softly, unaware of what to say to her longtime companion in the light of the revelation Angie had made the previous night.

For a moment the two friends simply stood looking at each other, Misty awkwardly twisting her wet hair with her fingers.

"Umm…" Misty began slowly.

"Yes?" Ash asked expectantly.

Misty made no answer, however. Ash looked at his friend curiously; it was then that he noticed that her hair was down.

"You…you…your hair is down," Ash stammered.

"Yes, it is," Misty stated matter-of-factly. What was Ash getting at?

"It's just, well, I like it," Ash continued.

_What was going on with him?_ Misty wondered. Why was Ash acting so strangely? She looked towards her friend and noticed the smallest bit of red tinting his cheeks. Was he blushing? He couldn't be…could he?

"Well, um, I'd better be going," Ash said, beginning to walk past Misty.

"Oh, right. Where are you going?" Misty asked.

"To see Angie."

Something inside Misty snapped, or at least that's what it felt like. He was going to see Angie?!

"Well, don't let me stop you, then," Misty began in her nastiest voice. "Go right on ahead!"

"What's gotten into you?" Ash asked, annoyed by the sudden change in his friend's demeanor.

"Nothing!" With that Misty stormed off, leaving Ash alone to question her odd change in mood. She hadn't meant to snap at him, but she had just gotten so angry when he mentioned he was going to see Angie. What, were they going to admit their secret feelings for one another?!

***

Ash felt strange as he approached the room Angie and Dawn were sharing. Why would Misty get so mad over nothing? More importantly, why did he suddenly feel strange, almost nervous and as if Butterfree were dancing in his stomach, when he saw Misty with her hair down? Why had his cheeks felt warm? Why had he felt this inexplicable urge to reach out and touch her hair, to stroke it, to push it behind her ears? Why had he called her hair pretty? What was going on with him?

Knocking on Angie's door, Ash took a deep breath. He had never been particularly good with apologies, and was feeling especially nervous this time because he hadn't even really been sure what he had done wrong; Angie had looked silly, after all. This was going to be difficult.

"Come in," a small voice rang from within.

Ash opened the door hesitantly, entering slowly. Angie looked surprised to see him.

"Ash?" she said in shock. Then, however, her features hardened. "What do you want?"

"I, err, I wanted to apologize," Ash began slowly, not having expected such a harsh reaction from his friend from summer school. He had to remind himself that he had insulted her.

"Well, you can…what?" Angie seemed surprised but why Ash had said.

"I said I wanted to apologize."

"Oh." Angie still looked sad, so Ash motioned for her to sit down on the bed and sat next to her. Much to his surprised, she turned red.

"Why would you want to look silly, Angie?" Ash began, trying to uncover what had caused his friend's strange behavior.

"I thought you'd like it if I wore makeup. That's what guys like," Angie said simply. She then turned an even deeper shade of red, having realized just how much she had revealed. She'd have to be more careful from now on! Ash, however, didn't seem to notice.

"Maybe weird guys like Brock like makeup, but I think it's stupid," Ash admitted.

"Oh."

"Why would you want to change the way you look? You look fine the way you are."

Angie's face seemed to brighten, and she slowly began to smile.

"Really, Ash?"

"Sure." Ash offered Angie his hand. "Friends?"

Angie's smile disappeared at the word, but, nonetheless, she took Ash's hand and shook it.

***

"Well, everyone, it's time for the second round battles of the Sinnoh Pokémon League to begin!" the cheery officiator announced that afternoon to a packed crowd in the Sinnoh League Stadium. "Today we have Ash of Pallet Town versus John of Sunnyshore City!"

The crowd seemed to roar with excitement, and Ash beamed with pride, that morning's incidents with Angie and Misty all but forgotten.

Up in the stands Brock and Dawn sat contently, ready to watch the next match with Piplup perched between them. Misty, however, looked annoyed and Angie appeared downcast.

"The roulette has determined that John of Sunnyshore will select first. If both contestants are ready, then let's begin!" the officiator explained to the crowd.

"Alright, Ash, you're going down! Go, Wartortle!" A blue turtle Pokémon with a fluffy white tail appeared at John's command.

"I don't think so, John! I choose you, Pikachu!" Ash stated confidently, and in an instant Ash's most trusted Pokémon had scampered from the side of its master to the middle of the stadium.

"Alright, Wartortle, prepare for Skull Bash!" John commanded.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle before it can attack!" Ash ordered.

Pikachu's Volt Tackle hit before Wartortle could make its move.

"Alright!" Brock and Dawn cheered simultaneously from the stands.

Wartortle, however, wasn't defeated yet, and slowly regained its stance.

John, it seemed, had decided to try another strategy.

"Wartortle, Rain Dance!"

The heavens opened and rain began to pour over the stadium, drenching Ash, John, and the boys' Pokémon.

Ash just grinned.

"Pikachu, you know what to do! Use Thunder!" Ash exclaimed.

Pikachu let out a loud cry and released thousands of volts of electricity from its small body, effectively knocking Wartortle out.

"Yes!" Ash cried. "Good job, Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu squealed happily.

"Wartortle is unable to battle!" the officiator announced.

"It looks like you forgot that Rain Dance gives Thunder perfect accuracy!" Ash taunted John.

"I'm just getting started, Ash! Go, Steelix!" A giant steel and rock snake Pokémon materialized from the Pokeball John held in his hand.

"Oh no!" Dawn cried from the stands. "Pikachu is weak to ground attacks and its electric attacks will have no affect on Steelix!"

"Ugh, Pikachu, use Agility!" Ash called out to his electric Pokémon.

Pikachu relaxed its muscles and began to speed up its body.

"Steelix, use Mud-slap!" John commanded.

Despite Pikachu's heightened speed, Steelix's mud attack hit Pikachu square in the face, temporarily knocking the mouse Pokémon down.

"Pikachu, no!" Ash cried.

"OK, Steelix, now's your chance! Use Earth Power!" John ordered.

With a mighty roar Steelix caused the very ground of the stadium to shake and tremble, creating fissures and cracks in the stadium's foundation. Pikachu immediately fainted.

"Oh no!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" the officiator proclaimed.

"What's Ash going to do now?" Dawn asked.

"Piplup?"

"Don't worry, Dawn; I'm sure Ash will think of something," Brock stated. "Right, guys?" he asked, turning towards Misty and Angie.

Both Misty and Angie were looking down towards Ash, each with a worried look on her face. Brock smiled knowingly.

"Thanks, Pikachu! You did great, buddy," Ash comforted his Pokémon, calling it back. "OK, John, you're going down! Staraptor, I choose you!" With a loud screech Ash's bird Pokémon appeared, its red eyes glowing and its white hair blowing in the wind.

"Staraptor, Close Combat!"

Staraptor began attacking Steelix, and the rock and steal snake was too slow to avoid the bird's mighty kicks.

"Err, Steelix, use Mud-slap!" John commanded desperately. Staraptor, however, was far too quick to be hit with the attack and continued its assault on Steelix until the mighty snake had fallen.

"Steelix is unable to battle!" the officiator announced.

"Yes!" Brock and Dawn cried. Even Misty and Angie, both of whom had looked rather forlorn at the beginning of the battle, smiled, Brock noticed.

"This isn't over yet, Ash!" John exclaimed. "Luxray, I choose you!" A large black and blue electric dog Pokémon appeared from John's Pokeball.

"Luxray, use Discharge!" John ordered. Luxray released an onslaught of electricity, once that rendered Staraptor almost helpless.

"Staraptor, no!" Ash cried. The strong bird Pokémon, however wasn't about to give up.

"Staraptor, use Brave Bird!" Ash commanded, and Staraptor swiftly attacked Luxray, temporarily weakening it.

"Don't think I'm done, Ash!" John warned. "Luxray, use Thunder Fang!" Luxray quickly attacked Staraptor, and the bird Pokémon soon fainted.

"Staraptor is unable to battle!"

"What's Ash going to do now?" Dawn mused.

"Don't worry, Dawn; I know which Pokémon Ash has left, and I think he might just be in luck," Brock commented.

Ash looked towards his friends in the stands, wandering what they were thinking. He wanted to win so badly for them. He suddenly locked eyes with Misty and felt his face grow red. Why did he feel so strange at that time? At that very moment he wanted nothing more than to win for her and for her alone, and determined to do so, released his last Pokémon.

"Gliscor, I choose you!" A purple bat Pokémon immediately appeared and flew over to Ash, hugging its master.

"Not now, Gliscor! You have to battle!" Ash exclaimed with embarrassment.

"Gli!" Gliscor nodded and flew out to the middle of the stadium.

"Gliscor, Sand-attack!" Ash ordered.

Gliscor whipped sand in Luxray's face, temporarily blinding it.

"Ugh, Luxray!" John cried.

"Now, Gliscor, use Fire Fang!"

Gliscor swooped down towards Luxray, biting it with its now fiery jaws.

Luxray, greatly weakened, struggled to stay conscious. It wasn't about to give up, however.

"Luxray, use Crunch!"

Luxray successfully managed to clamp its jaws down on Gliscor. Gliscor, knowing the importance of this match, continued to fight.

"Gliscor, use X-scissor!"

Gliscor unleashed its powerful bug attack, and this time Luxray couldn't hang on.

"Luxray is unable to battle! The winner of this match is Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!" the officiator announced.

"We did it!" Ash cried happily.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu squealed.

"Gli!" Gliscor flew over to its master and proceeded to hug him. Ash somehow managed to let out a muffled "thanks" from underneath the winged Pokémon.

Up in the stands, Brock and Dawn beamed. Even Angie looked happy once again. Misty, her eyes shining with proud tears, couldn't help but smile. She had seen Ash struggle as a Pokémon trainer from the beginning, and now he had made it this far. She couldn't have felt prouder to be someone's friend and to forget all of her previous annoyance with the kid from Pallet Town.

"Come on, guys! Let's go down and see him!" Brock suggested, and the four friends made their way through the crowds towards Ash and Pikachu.

"Hey, everyone!" Ash exclaimed once his friends had reached him.

"Congratulations, Ash!" Brock , always the affectionate older brother type, patted Ash on the shoulder.

"Yeah, congratulations!" Dawn added, approaching Ash.

As Misty and Angie were making their way towards Ash, a cloud of smoke suddenly appeared before them, blocking their view of Ash, Dawn, and Brock.

"What's going on?" Misty asked, coughing violently.

"Ugh, I don't know!" Angie struggled to answer.

Soon the smoke disappeared, and Misty and Angie were met with a most unexpected sight. Two women and one man, all with strange looking hair and clothing, were struggling to overpower Ash, Brock, and Dawn. Soon the odd looking strangers had won, and a woman with red hair grabbed Ash, a woman with purple hair grabbed Dawn, and a man with blue hair grabbed Brock.

"Let us go!" Ash cried.

"Ha, not on your life, little boy!" the red-haired woman replied, tightening her grip on Ash.

Misty and Angie immediately ran forward to rescue their friends, but as they did so three Pokémon, a Skuntank, a Toxicroak, and a Purugly, blocked the way.

"If you move you will get hurt!" the woman with the purple hair warned.

"But…Ash!" Misty cried.

"Do what they say, Misty," Ash pleaded.

Misty looked at Ash, shocked. It wasn't like Ash to just give up. Did he know something about these people that she didn't? He had such fear in his eyes. Misty did what Ash said.

Amidst the chaos a helicopter had landed in the middle of the stadium. Clutching their three victims, the strange people loaded them into the helicopter, which took off just as Officer Jenny and league security arrived.

"Team Galactic!" Jenny stated with anger.

"Who?" Misty and Angie asked in unison.

"Never mind. I'll explain once we get to the Pokémon Center." Jenny lead the two girls out of the stadium as league security tried to calm down the panicked audience and restore some order to the stadium.

***

At the Pokémon Center, Misty held her head in her hands, trying to keep from crying. All she could see, all she could picture in her mind's eye was the look of terror in Ash's eyes as he had pleaded with her not to fight with the strange woman. That look, she though, would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Angie looked equally somber, pacing the room anxiously. Jenny had just finished explaining about Team Galactic, a criminal organization akin to Kanto's Team Rocket that had been wreaking havoc throughout Sinnoh lately. Not much was known about Team Galactic except that they were dangerous.

"You know, you should have tried to rescue Ash!" Angie suddenly spoke, interrupting the silence.

"Pardon?" Misty asked, shocked by the young tomboy's statement.

"You heard me!" Angie cried. "Why didn't you try to save Ash?"

How could Misty possibly explain the look in Ash's eyes, the tone of his pleading voice, the things that had kept her from trying to save him?

"I, well, I had no Pokémon with me!"

"That wouldn't have stopped me!" Angie stated angrily.

"Well then, why didn't you try to save him?" Misty mocked, standing up so that she was facing Angie at her full height.

"Because you were in the way!"

"Girls, please!" Jenny interrupted. "Try not argue!"

"She started it!" both girls said in unison.

Jenny just sighed, sitting down in resignation.

Suddenly a tall blonde woman dressed in black approached the group. "I happened to be listening to your conversation, and I must say that you two will need to stop arguing if you want to get anywhere." Angie and Misty looked up, shocked. "Allow me to introduce myself," the tall blonde began. "My name is Cynthia, and I may just be able to help you."

Author's Note: Finally, right? I'm so sorry that it took so long for me to update this story; hopefully updates will be more frequent from here on out (although I do plan on sticking with the formula I described at the end of Always with You and will be updating that before I update this again).

I wrote this very quickly, so if it's not very polished or very good that's why. I wanted to finish this today because it's Sonic Boom from SPPF's birthday. Happy Birthday, SB!

Anyway, Ash's Staravia just evolved into Staraptor in Japan, so he officially has one now, and it does know Close Combat. As for Gliscor, I think it knows X-scissor and Sand Attack, and I know it knows Fire Fang.

Ketchum Kid, I'm really not sure what happened when Chimchar battled the wild Zangoose and Paul's Ursaring. Maybe it was some kind of Blaze thing.

I'm on spring break, so you may see another update or two from me this week.

Thanks for sticking with this story despite the long wait (and despite the fact that this chapter stinks)! :)


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